What vegetables can you give your dog?
Recommended vegetables for dogs
Zucchini
Sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber and low in calories, zucchini is all good! Thanks to their mild and slightly sweet flavor, they are generally popular with our domestic canines to whom we can distribute these vegetables without problem. Still, prefer to cook them for better digestive tolerance.
Zucchinis are particularly interesting in voracious dogs with reduced energy needs such as sterilized and sedentary adult dogs or dogs that are known to be real “stomachs on legs”.Very low in calories, zucchini can be brought in large enough quantities to satisfy the biggest appetites.
Green beans
Whether fresh, canned or frozen, green beans are vegetables rich in fiber and a source of many micronutrients that can be perfectly suitable for dogs provided they are given cooked to your pet. Cooking the beans makes the beans much more digestible for the dog, but also reduces their phytohaemagglutinin content, a toxic substance in raw beans.
Carrots
Rich in antioxidants and fiber, carrots have a sweet taste that dogs particularly like. They are also part of the vegetables that can be distributed to him without problem provided that they are well cooked and reduced to a puree to facilitate digestion.Failing this, it is possible to distribute raw carrots to the dog but by grating them very finely.
Other vegetables good for dogs
Except for specific contraindications, the other vegetables that can be given to a dog without any problem are:
- pumpkin or pumpkin,
- the squash,
- the cucumber,
- the celery stalk,
- green salad,
- lamb's lettuce,
- fennel,
- mushrooms,
- endives (except in dogs with kidney failure),
- red beets (except in diabetic dogs and occasionally or mixed with other vegetables because of their high carbohydrate content for other dogs),
- spinach and arugula (except in dogs with kidney disease due to the high oxalic acid content, which promotes the formation of kidney stones).
How to give vegetables to the dog?
As a general rule, it is always recommended to cook vegetables well before feeding them to the dog to facilitate their digestion.
It is possible to feed fresh, canned or raw frozen (i.e. uncooked) vegetables to a dog. If you use fresh or frozen vegetables, be careful not to cook them too long or at too high a temperature in order to retain as many vitamins and minerals as possible. Prefer steam cooking, which is faster and more respectful of vegetable micronutrients.
Nevertheless, if you want to give raw vegetables to the dog (apart from the exceptions mentioned), it is at least necessary to grate them very finely or mix them before offering them to the animal in order to facilitate their digestion. Otherwise, they may well come out identically in your pet's stool!
Vegetables to limit in dogs
Some vegetables can be given to the dog but in small quantities:
- vegetables from the cruciferous family including cabbage (green cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, kale) and turnips,
- radish,
- celeriac (to be given cooked),
- chard (to be given cooked),
- Jerusalem,
- tomatoes,
- artichoke (to give cooked),
- asparagus (to be given cooked),
- cooked eggplant only (it is toxic raw),
- salsify.
These vegetables are either not well digested by the dog and can cause digestive disorders such as flatulence and diarrhea, or toxic if ingested in large quantities and/or on a regular basis, especially in dogs who suffer from kidney failure.They must therefore be given to the animal on an ad hoc basis and in limited quantities.
Vegetables forbidden for dogs
Onion
The onion is one of those highly toxic vegetables for domestic carnivores because of the sulfur derivatives it contains. In dogs, onion consumption is responsible for hemolytic anemia, including destruction of red blood cells, which can lead to significant he alth problems in dogs. The onion is toxic in all its forms for the dog, whether raw or cooked, just like garlic, shallot and leek which belong to the same botanical family and contain the same toxic compounds for the dog.
Raw potato
Often considered a vegetable when it is not really one, the potato is toxic to the dog when it is given raw to eat to the dog. In question: the alkaloid substances that the raw plant contains and which have digestive and nervous toxicity.The well-cooked potato, on the other hand, presents no danger to the dog.
Note that raw eggplant and green tomatoes, which belong to the same botanical family, have the same toxicity.
The lawyer
Avocado is toxic to dogs. Poisoning results mainly in digestive disorders (especially vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite) in the hours following ingestion and can also be the cause of breathing difficulties and cardiovascular disorders in the most severe cases. serious. It is therefore forbidden to share your guacamole or your avocado toast with your dog!
How many vegetables to give your dog?
In adult dogs fed with a household ration, depending on appetite and the vegetable given, it is possible to give between 10 and 40 grams of vegetables per kg of body weight and per day.
Less caloric vegetables, richer in water such as zucchini, endive, or even mushrooms can be given in larger quantities than slightly more caloric vegetables such as carrots, beans or pumpkin again.In any case, the quantities of vegetables to give to a dog as part of a balanced household ration must be calculated on a case-by-case basis with the help of a veterinarian.
Note that the quantity of vegetables should be even more limited in pregnant or lactating bitches as well as in very athletic dogs.
In weaned and growing puppies, the amount of vegetables, whatever it is, should be between 10 to 25 grams per kg of body weight per day.
Why give your dog vegetables?
Vegetables, a source of fiber in a homemade diet
If you wish to prepare your pet's meals yourself, it is essential to give your dog vegetables in addition to the source of animal protein, starchy foods and vitamin and mineral supplements.
Vegetables will provide your dog with essential fibers for his digestive comfort. In other words, they will ensure good transit and well-formed stools.
Vegetables in addition to industrial food
With a well-adapted industrial diet (kibbles or pâtés), it is normally not necessary to include vegetables in your dog's ration. However, adding vegetables to your bowl can be interesting if:
Your dog is constipated
Vegetables contain fibers that promote intestinal transit. If your dog is constipated, giving him cooked vegetables can act as a natural laxative. However, if the constipation has lasted for several days and/or if the animal shows abnormal general signs (lack of appetite, signs of pain, prostration), this should not exempt you from consulting a veterinarian.
Your dog is hungry
When a dog's food ration is reduced as part of a weight loss diet, the animal may show signs of hunger.At the beginning of his "diet" , he can then begin to demand more when his masters sit down to eat or even steal food. To calm your feeling of hunger, you can mix vegetables with your usual industrial foods. The volume occupied by vegetables in the stomach will have a satietogenic effect and will help your dog to achieve weight loss. However, avoid putting your dog on a diet without the prior advice of your veterinarian and discuss with him the strategy to put in place to make your dog lose weight.
This trick can also be put into practice to calm the appetite of voracious dogs with reduced energy needs in order to prevent weight gain. This is particularly the case for sterilized adult dogs.
Be sure to introduce vegetables very gradually into the dog's usual diet to avoid the occurrence of intestinal disorders.
Caution with large dogs!
Avoid excessively increasing the volume of the food ration for large dogs. These dogs are more at risk of presenting a torsion-dilatation of the stomach and the risk increases all the more as the volume of the food bolus is large. If you want to introduce vegetables into the ration of a large dog, split the meals and talk to your veterinarian beforehand.